Volume 7, Issue 3 December 2014
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Volume 7, Issue 3 December 2014 Peace Studies Journal ISSN: 2151-0806 Vol. 7, Issue 3 December 2014 ______________________________________________________________________________ Guest Editors: Dr. Laura Finley Peace and Justice Studies Association and Dr. David Ragland Peace and Justice Studies Association Special Issue: Courageous Peace: Exploring Innovative, Diverse, and Inclusive Efforts in Peace, Social Justice and Conflict Studies ______________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents ARTICLES Introduction Laura Finley and David Ragland………………………………………………………………….3 In Keeping with the Teaching of Scripture”: Jimmy Carter, Religious Faith, and the Search for Peace in the Middle East. D. Jason Berggren…………………………………………………………………………………6 Transforming Cultures, Growing Substantive Peace: Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis and a Green Peace Christopher Hrynkow…………………………………………………………………………….25 Target the 90 Percenters: Comedian Todd Glass’s Social Justice Crusade Ruth Tallman…………………………………………………………………………………….39 Shifting Practices of Peace: What is the Current State of Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping? Randy Janzen…………………………………………………………………………………….46 Volume 7, Issue 3, December 2014 Page 1 Peace Studies Journal ISSN: 2151-0806 Talking to Cartels? The Catholic Church’s Response to Drug War Violence in Acapulco Julie Ethan……………………………………………………………………………………….61 Dictatorship Declassified: Latin America’s “Archives of Terror” and the Labors of Memory Betsy Konefal and Silvia R. Tandeciarz…………………………………………………………75 “Whose Peace Are We Talking About?” The Need for Critical Gender Analysis in Peace Education Katherine Fobear………………………………………………………………………………...98 Deliberative Dialogue in Support of Peace and Social Justice Glenn Bowen……………………………………………………………………………………115 BOOK REVIEWS Understanding Peace: A Comprehensive Introduction. Reviewed by Richard Matthews………………...........................................................................128 Black Women in Leadership as Peacemakers. Reviewed by Dannielle Davis and Cassandra Chaney………………………………………….132 FILM REVIEW Ghosts of Jeju Reviewed by Regis Tremblay…………………………………………………………………...135 Volume 7, Issue 3, December 2014 Page 2 Peace Studies Journal ISSN: 2151-0806 Vol. 7, Issue 3 December 2014 ______________________________________________________________________________ Introduction Author: Laura Finley Title: Board member Affiliation: Peace and Justice Studies Association Location: Miami Shores, Florida, United States E-mail: [email protected] Author: David Ragland Title: Board member Affiliation: Peace and Justice Studies Association Location: Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, United States E-mail: [email protected] Keywords: Peacemaking, Peace Education, Peace Studies INTRODUCTION As we worked to compile this special edition, we saw the U.S and some of its allies send troops to Syria to “degrade and dismantle the violent incursion of the ‘Islamic State…” (Statement by the President…, 2014, para. 1), brought upon on an America already invasion-weary from Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama presides over an increasingly militarized society. The authorization of drone attacks on Pakistan and other countries in the Middle East makes the Nobel Peace Prize winner surpass his predecessor George W. Bush in terms of the number of countries he has bombed. In addition, almost 20,000 minors crossed into the U.S. alone, mostly fleeing violence in their home countries. Domestically, we saw police continue to abuse their authority, with an officer shooting an unarmed black man, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri, prompting strong reactions that brought police violence in the U.S. to the forefront of global discourse. As well, police have killed unarmed Kejieme Powell in St. Louis, Eric Garner and Akai Gurley in New York, John Crawford and Tamir Rice in Ohio, Rekia Boyd in Chicago, Ill, Duanna Johnson in Memphis (beaten to death in police custody), seven year old Aiyana Stanley-Jones in Detroit, Michigan, and the list continues to grow. Also in Detroit, the city bankruptcy, water shutoffs by the city, and land and housing grab fueled by a colonialist settler mentality has disenfranchised residents who already have very little Volume 7, Issue 3, December 2014 Page 3 Peace Studies Journal ISSN: 2151-0806 human security. The National Football League (NFL) maintained weeks of media attention about its failure to contain player violence against women and children. The state of Oklahoma, using a new three-drug cocktail, botched the execution of an inmate yet other death penalty states continued executions regardless. We learned that at least 60 colleges and universities are being investigated by the U.S. Department of Education for their inadequate responses to campus sexual violence. These and many other holistically linked incidents and issues clearly warrant the serious attention of peacemakers. As active members and representatives of the Board of Directors of the Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) we are so pleased to have been given the opportunity to edit this special issue of the Peace Studies Journal. Given the many forms of violence that people across the globe continue to endure on a daily basis, it can be easy to forget that there are also many amazing individuals and organizations steadfastly working to create peace. This issue is intended delve into the structural issues, while celebrating and encouraging those courageous, dedicated, and necessary and innovative efforts. Just as curtailing violence and building peace requires a multi-faceted, collaborative approach, this special edition features manuscripts and reviews from scholars from a number of disciplinary areas and activists with diverse backgrounds. Similarly, just as peacemaking and peacebuilding require both personal and collective commitments, this edition highlights the work of courageous individuals and of institutions that are doing innovative work. Danielle Davis’ review of Black Women in Leadership notes the important contribution of black females. Often minimized or presumed to be simple accompaniment to black male leaderships, Davis shows how the book highlights the many unique historical and current contributions of black females in terms of civil rights, human rights, and peacemaking. Davis, and the book she reviews, calls on peacemakers and peace educators to think beyond Rosa Parks and to study these amazing women as well as the social, political, familial and other factors that gave rise to their courageous actions. This review acknowledges the importance of resituating the struggle of People of Color and Black women in particular, firmly at the urgent attention of peace studies. Regis Tremblay, a documentary filmmaker, focuses on the strength and solidarity of farmers and fisherman who have used nonviolent tactics to counter the environmental damage being done by a massive naval base. Ghosts of Jeju reveals the adversity and resilience faced by ordinary people who challenge the right of corporations and governments to impinge on their environmental security. J. David Berggren, Christopher Hrynkow, and Ruth Tallman all shine a light on innovative individualspeacemakers as well. Berggren focuses on former president Jimmy Carter’s human rights and peacemaking initiatives, documenting how Carter’s work as president and his ongoing efforts are the result of his deep spiritual beliefs. He suggests that subsequent presidents can learn from the ways that Carter actualized his convictions. Hrynkow focuses on Pope Francis, documenting his potential as a proponent of green peace, a form of positive peace that emphasizes sustainability, social justice, respect for diversity, ecological wisdom, participatory democracy and a commitment to nonviolence, Hrynkow notes that Pope Francis has already exhibited the “moral courage associated with his namesake,” Francis of Assisi. Tallman, a philosopher, helps us see that individuals in the public eye, even comedians, have tremendous power to be advocates for peace and social justice. Through her examination of the comedy sketches of Todd Glass, Tallman Volume 7, Issue 3, December 2014 Page 4 Peace Studies Journal ISSN: 2151-0806 discusses how peacemakers can use humor to address derogatory and divisive language to reach the many people, known as “the 90 percenters,” whose position on social issues can be moved. Other contributions in this special edition focus on institutions---their potential for harm, as well as their potential for good. The article by Betsy Konefal and Silvia Tandeciarz shows how archival research can help peacemakers better understand the scope, issues, and dynamics of torture, thereby allowing for more effective responses and prevention initiatives. Randy Janzen documents how unarmed civilian peacekeeping (UCP) is a more humane method of containing violence. He provides readers with a description of UCP groups, showing how they have built on Gandhi’s vision of a peace army, or “shanti sena.” Julie Ethan’s work documents the important role that the Catholic Church has and can continue to play in negotiating peace in Mexico. As an institution with deep community roots and a commitment to nonviolence and social justice, Catholic organizations have potential to help broker peace in some of the areas most devastated by drug cartels. The remaining contributors to this special edition emphasize the importance of building peace through creative strategies and through purposeful and strategic inclusivity. Richard Matthews provides a review of Understanding